capital punishment

Capital punishment, death penalty or execution is government sanctioned punishment by death. The sentence is referred to as a death sentence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences, such as first degree murder, terrorism, and espionage. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally "regarding the head" (referring to execution by beheading). There are many execution methods; one widely practiced form historically that is the most common modern method used in jurisdictions with capital punishment is hanging.